U.S. boosts tsunami aid to $350 million / QUICK DECISION: Stung by charges of being tightfisted and slow to respond, Bush makes tenfold increase in pledged amount

Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Published
4:00 am PST, Saturday, January 1, 2005

Countries Increase Tsunami Aid. Associated Press Graphic

Countries Increase Tsunami Aid. Associated Press Graphic

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Countries Increase Tsunami Aid. Associated Press Graphic

Countries Increase Tsunami Aid. Associated Press Graphic

U.S. boosts tsunami aid to $350 million / QUICK DECISION: Stung by charges of being tightfisted and slow to respond, Bush makes tenfold increase in pledged amount

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2005-01-01 04:00:00 PDT Washington -- The United States, which was heavily criticized for its response in the first days of the Asian tsunami disaster, substantially increased its pledge of aid to $350 million Friday.

The new pledge makes the United States the largest donor to the relief effort, followed by the World Bank, which has committed $250 million, and Great Britain, which is offering $95 million in aid.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, who will lead an American delegation touring the devastated region next week, said President Bush had agreed to boost U.S. relief aid from the $35 million previously announced after receiving new reports of the damage across southern Asia and parts of Africa.

"This tenfold increase is indicative of American generosity, but it also is indicative of the need," Powell said Friday after meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York. "The need is great and not just for immediate relief but for long-term reconstruction, rehabilitation, family support (and) economic support that's going to be needed for these countries to get back up on their feet."

Powell suggested the United States might be willing to give even more aid, saying, "I'm not sure $350 (million) is the end number. It's the number that we've settled on for now."

The administration has been reeling from complaints that the president was too slow to come before TV cameras to address the crisis and that the administration's initial offers of financial assistance were paltry.

Speaking at U.N. headquarters in New York, Annan sought to downplay the controversy, saying the United States and other donors had been generous in their support. More than $1.1 billion has been pledged by U.N. member nations, including the United States, as well as other major donors.

"On the question of fund-raising, I think that things are looking up," Annan told reporters Friday.

But Annan quickly added, "I will urge governments not only to contribute for the moment, but be prepared to continue the effort over the longer term."

Some Democratic lawmakers and humanitarian officials had complained earlier this week about the White House's early commitments of aid. After first offering $4 million in assistance, the administration raised its pledge to $15 million and then $35 million.

But critics had noted that the United States' $35 million donation was smaller than those of several European nations and was not much bigger than contributions offered by some major corporations and relief organizations. For example, Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services had pledged $25 million for emergency relief.

Drugmaker Pfizer is contributing $10 million in cash and $25 million worth of drugs to relief groups, while Coca-Cola has pledged $10 million in aid. Exxon Mobil is donating $5 million, while Citigroup, Merck, BP and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are donating $3 million each.

Powell spoke Friday morning with Andrew Natsios, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, who urged an increase in financial assistance based on reports from USAID representatives in the hardest-hit areas. Powell said he then called Bush, who approved the increase in aid from his Crawford, Texas, ranch.

In a prepared statement released by the White House Friday, Bush said: "Initial findings of American assessment teams on the ground indicate that the need for financial and other assistance will steadily increase in the days and weeks ahead. ... Our contributions will continue to be revised as the full effects of this terrible tragedy become clearer."

The president said that more than 20 U.S. aircraft were being used to transport supplies and that the Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and an amphibious ship carrying a Marine expeditionary unit -- both capable of producing clean drinking water -- would soon be in place to help tsunami survivors.

Bush added, "Reports of strong charitable donations are also very encouraging and reflect the true generosity and compassion of the American people."

Relief organizations are reporting a surge of contributions this week. The American Red Cross said it had received $43.7 million in contributions from individuals and corporations as of 7 p.m. Thursday.

"The response and the outpouring of support from the public has been tremendous," Jacki Flowers, a spokeswoman for the group in Washington, said Friday. "Americans are always very generous when there is a disaster, whether it's at home or abroad. We are just so grateful because we couldn't provide the relief without their help."

Relief groups also caution, however, that the needs in southern Asia are likely to grow. The U.N.'s World Health Organization is warning that 5 million people in Asia lack basic services, and health experts say there is serious risk of diarrhea-related diseases, malaria, respiratory infections and dengue fever for residents in areas affected by the tsunami.

Aid workers said the need for food, clean water, medicine and shelter may be greatest in Indonesia, where the death toll has now risen above 80,000, and Sri Lanka, where at least 28,000 people have been killed and 900,000 have been displaced.

Some humanitarian officials have expressed concern about the distribution of relief aid after reports from Indonesia Thursday that boxes of drinking water, food and blankets were sitting in an airport hangar in Medan, nearly 300 miles south of Banda Aceh, where emergency supplies are desperately needed.

Annan said Friday he was concerned about the bottleneck and had talked with Powell and other foreign leaders about ways to get more planes and helicopters to transport emergency supplies.

"The situation is very difficult, particularly in Aceh and Sumatra, and we need to get access," Annan said. "The initial phase is a race against time, and we are pressing ahead trying to do it as fast as we can."

At least one foreign government offered praise for the United States' latest pledge of financial assistance. The Indonesian ambassador to the United States, Soemadi Brotodiningrat, called the White House's offer of aid "very heartening."

"We ourselves, our government, also is being criticized for being rather slow in dealing with the disaster, but many people don't know how complicated it is to do that," Brotodiningrat said on CNN. "I don't see any lack of goodwill on the part of the U.S. government."